Meet the 23andMe Team: Iram Mirza

We want to ensure that we always present our users with a delightful and empowering experience as they explore their genomes. We are continuously improving the design of all dimensions of our service because they all converge to influence the user experience (UX) of 23andMe – the experience a user will have while interacting with our service. This is where User Experience Designer Iram Mirza comes in.

“The most valuable (and fun) part of designing the user experience for 23andMe is iterating on new and existing solutions,” says Iram.

“We obviously can’t always come up with the best solutions the first time around. Once a design is created, we test it with users to get their feedback and check the design against usability rules of thumb regarding what makes a website easy for people to use and understand. Based on the collective feedback, we adjust the design to make it more usable. Once designs go live on the www.23andme.com site, we continue gathering feedback from customers and use it to inform our future work.”

“I really encourage users to come chat with us about their experiences with 23andMe,” she says.

If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area and interested in being a subject for usability testing, send an email to help@23andme.com to schedule a time to come in an meet Iram. If you can’t visit, that’s ok too. You can always just send us questions or suggestions you might have.Iram on the 23andMe service:
“I think of 23andMe as a unique network. I love being able to share and compare my genetic profile with my family members who are also 23andMe customers.”

“My sister and I now know there is a good chance we could be organ donors for each other — we used the Family Inheritance feature to compare our genomes.”

“We also learned that my genetics indicate that I can’t taste the bitterness in things like Brussels sprouts, while my sister’s data show that she can. Neither one of us likes Brussels sprouts (there’s more to hate than just bitterness!), but it’s true that I can tolerate bitter vegetables more than she can.”

“And my Ancestry Painting for Chromosome 8 is a work of art! The blend of colors reflects my Asian and European ancestry (I’m from Pakistan). Many people were intrigued when I used an image of this chromosome as my profile picture on Facebook!”

Iram on being a 23andMe employee:
“I love the energy in the office. Everyone is excited about being part of the team and working towards designing the ultimate service for our customers. I appreciate the willingness of everyone here to listen to wild new ideas — and that I’ve had the luxury of implementing a few of them!”

Think you have the right stuff to join forces with Iram on the product team? Check out our jobs page now!

Additional Info.

Welcome to the 23andMe blog. We invite your comment, just please be respectful. Abusive comments may be moderated. For help or questions visit Customer Care. Our contributors are scientists, researchers and writers here at 23andMe. We’re interested in helping people explore their own DNA and what it can tell them about themselves. Learn more at our website or check out our store!